Stackable storage container



Patented Apr. 21, 1953 STACKABLE STORAGE CONTAINER Walter H. Wickson, Waukegan, Ill.,p assigner to United States Steel Corperation,I @corporation of New Jersey Application June 14, 1950, Serial Nl.)-` li 1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a storage container, particularly to a light-weight stackable containn er fortransporting and storing small parts,y subassemblies and the like during the period intermediate the manufacturing thereof and the final assembly operation.

In many modern manufacturing operations numerous small parts are made Iat one location in a factory, moved to a storage area and then to an assembly area as needed. The individual items are generally irregular in shape, making the handling thereof diicult and inconvenient. Properly designed baskets or containers are therefore essential to efficient handling operations. In general such containers should be of light, yet sturdy, construction for, although the weight of the individual items may be quite small, the weight of a batch is appreciable. The container should be adapted for mechanical handling as by conventional lift truck or the like. Further, since in most instances storage space is at a premium, they should be arranged to be directly stackable one on another. The provision for stacking must be such as to permit this operation to be done easily and safely and, in order that safety hazards may be reduced to a minimum, should be such as to interlock into a stable stack or pile.

Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide a sturdy light-weight container for the storage and transportation of small parts which is adapted to mechanical handling and having features which readily permit the containers to be stacked one on another in a stable pile.

This and other objects will be made apparent in the following specification when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of the container of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an end elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is an enlarged View showing the relation of the means provided to facilitate stacking of the containers;

Figure 4 is a typical section through the leg members of the container taken along the line IV-IV of Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a partial horizontal section taken along the line V-V of Figure l.

As shown in the drawings the container of the present invention is in the form of an opentopped box and is characterized by a load supporting frame-work consisting of corner posts 2, and side rails A which join adjacent posts at a point intermediate their length. The elevation ofthe rails 4 with respect to the lowerends of the posts 2 is such as will` permit. handling of the. con.- tainer with a conventionalforkrtype lift truck; posts 2 beine spacedso as t, permtharidlng from, any angle of approach. `The members.; 'and 4 yare preferably of angle section to achieve maximum stiffness with minimum weight. The legs of the angles are disposed with their inner surfaces toward the interior of the container thus providing surfaces for the support and attachment of reticulated side, end and bottom panels 5, 6 and l respectively. The latter are preferably welded to the inner surfaces of the legs of the angle sections in order to maintain the outer faces of the container as free as possible of projections.

Projecting above the top of each post is a round or button-headed stud 8 having a bent shank which is welded to the interior vertex of the corner post; the shank being so bent that the head of the stud 8 centers on the vertical center line of the post. Extending upwardly from the bottom of each post to the bottom of adjoining rails 4 is a short piece of angle bar ID welded along the toes thereof to the toes of the corner post to form a tubular leg of box section (see Figure 4). A cone-shaped sheet-metal stamping l2 is secured to the bottom of each of these leg sections iorming a downwardly flaring foot. The vertex of the cone extends into the interior of the leg and is preferably welded thereto. As shown in Figure 3, the conical feet are adapted to rest on the round heads of the studs 8 when the containers are stacked, as well as on a fiat surface such as a shop floor. The arrangement not only :facilitates stacking of one container on another but also effectively interlocks the containers in a stable stack.

A door I4 provides ready access to the container when in the stacked position. The door is conveniently hinged by forming vertical wires I6` of the mesh into outwardly extending eyes and providing a pair of rods i8 having similar eye openings attached to the door panel, rod 20 secured with cotterpins or the like serving as the hinge pin. Bolts 22 and hasps 24 are provided at the top of the door for holding it closed. A restraining chain 26 may be provided to limit the swing of the door thereby providing a convenient shelf for items being removed from the container.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that my container is characterized by several important advantages. vIt is simple and inexpensive in construction and light in weight yet amply strong and sturdy for the relatively rough usage to which such containers are subjected. The feet of the container are adapted to stand on a iioor or on the studs of another container when a plurality of them are stacked one on another, and are effective to give a high degree of stability to the resulting stack.

While I have shown and described a specic embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be limited exactly thereto but only by the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A stackable storage container of box shape comprising corner posts, side rails extending between and fastened to adjacent corner posts at a level intermediate their upper and lower ends, retculated side and end walls extending between and fastened to adjacent corner posts and the side rail joining said adjacent posts, and a retic- 20 ulated bottom fastened to said side rails, each post having a round-headed pin projecting upwardly from the upper end and a downwardly flaring hollow foot at the lower end whereby a plurality of the containers may be stacked one on the other with the feet of each one resting on the pins of the one below it, and each post being of angle section with a short supplemental length of angle bar extending upwardly from the lower end thereof to the bottom of said side rail, said angle bar being so disposed relative to said corner post as to form a box section leg to receive the vertex of the foot.

WALTER H. WICKSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,164,502 Grith Dec. 14, 1915 1,185,798 Hofer June 6, 1916 1,891,811 Grimes Dec. 20, 1932 2,169,450 McCutchen Aug. 15, 1939 2,239,483 Cocks Apr. 22, 1941 2,382,131 Cameron Aug. 14, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 22,157 Great Britain 1905 188,785 Great Britain Nov. 20, 1922 385,499 Great Britain Dec. 29, 1932 

